In a single calendar year, Richard Nixon was inaugurated, man first landed on the moon, the "Miracle Mets" captivated sports fans, students took over college campuses, the flower child generation reached its zenith at the Woodstock music festival, the massacre at My Lai was uncovered, Hollywood produced Easy Rider, Kurt Vonnegut published Slaughterhouse-Five, and a fan was stabbed to death at the Altamont Free Concert. Rob Kirkpatrick's 1969 chronicles a watershed year in American society.

"Kirkpatrick asserts that 1969 was the birth of modern America and sets out to relate how this incredible year reflected deep underlying changes in American culture... A riveting look at a pivotal year."—Booklist